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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26720599">Outside the Tower</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stay_bangchann/pseuds/Stay_bangchann'>Stay_bangchann</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Stray Kids (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Fairies, Fluff and Angst, Jeongin is a dragon, M/M, No Smut, Prince Hwang Hyunjin, Prince Seo Changbin, Witches, hyunjin's parents put him in a tower, royal au, spinoff of rapunzel</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 08:13:35</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,038</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26720599</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stay_bangchann/pseuds/Stay_bangchann</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>You've heard of the story of Rapunzel, haven't you? A princess, locked in a tower, waiting for a prince to come save her so they can live their happily ever after.</p>
<p>Now what if the princess... was a prince?</p>
<p>Or...</p>
<p>Prince Hyunjin is trapped in a tower with only a dragon and a dog to keep him company, waiting for another prince to arrive. Prince Changbin just might be his savior. Right?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Bang Chan/Lee Felix, Han Jisung | Han/Lee Minho | Lee Know, Hwang Hyunjin/Kim Seungmin, Hwang Hyunjin/Seo Changbin, Lee Felix/Seo Changbin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>33</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Hyunjin, Hyunjin, Let Down Your Hair?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>so... this is my first time writing and posting a fic on ao3. hope y'all enjoy it as much as i enjoy writing it!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hyunjin had been waiting in this tower for forever. He knew it had been forever because first of all, he had made friends with the dragon outside (his name was Jeongin) and second, he had lost count of all the tally marks carved into the wall, and surely that meant it had been forever. </p>
<p>But let's back it up a bit. Who is Hyunjin, why is he in a tower, and why should you care? Well, let's just say you're in for an interesting story. </p>
<p>This had all begun when he was a mere five years old. Hyunjin was the prince of the Hwang kingdom, and as the only child and son of the biggest kingdom in Korea, a huge weight was put on his shoulders. Since his parents seemed always to be busy, both of them tried to take a little time to be with Hyunjin, at least right before he fell asleep. So every night, without fail, his mother and father would tell him the same bedtime story. The story spoke of a beautiful princess that was locked away in a tower by her parents so that only the bravest and the strongest prince could ever take her hand in marriage. After listening to the same story again, and again, and again, Hyunjin grew bored, so his parents added extra details. Such as a fiery dragon that guarded the tower, and a watchdog that kept the princess company.</p>
<p>When Hyunjin was 13, he came out to his parents as bisexual. He had kissed a stable boy named Seungmin, whom he may have harbored a crush on for years, and he couldn't bear to hide that from his parents.</p>
<p>Surprisingly, his parents took the news well. The way they saw it, it just meant that they could invite princes and princesses over for dinner. There were now more options for their lovely Hyunjin. Their lives went on as usual, for the most part.</p>
<p>There was one thing that Hyunjin noticed had changed, though it seemed rather insignificant. Before he came out, every night after his mother and father told him the same bedtime story, his mother would brush back his hair, kiss his forehead, and whisper teasingly, "Maybe someday, you'll be like the prince and save your own beautiful maiden."</p>
<p>After Hyunjin came out to them, she no longer said that. She would end the kiss with a simple goodnight, followed by an almost knowing smile.</p>
<p>More strange changes to his nightly routine began to occur. The princess in the story eventually became a prince, and when Hyunjin questioned it, his father just shushed him and smiled. Soon after, his mother began to whisper again in his ear. "Maybe someday, you'll be like the prince in the story."</p>
<p>Hyunjin had just assumed she meant the same thing, except maybe he'd be saving a prince instead of a princess. He should have seen the warning signs, but he didn't. Not when he was gifted an adorable puppy, whom he named Kkami. Not even when he saw a fancy blueprint for a tower in his father's study. Not even when he heard something that sounded like a dragon roaring in the distance.  Surprisingly, not even when he was told to pack his belongings suddenly and was bidding his parents goodbye through the carriage window. He definitely should have noticed the warning signs. But he didn't. </p>
<p>And then he was stuck in a tower, only 16 years old, cursing that stupid bedtime story and the prince who never arrived. One year passed, then two, then three, and Hyunjin eventually lost count of the days that seemingly blurred together. He was perhaps 20 by now, Jeongin told him every morning exactly how many days he had been in the tower. The dragon was a lot better at keeping track of things and doing math.</p>
<p>That morning began like any other; Kkami would bark at precisely seven o'clock, waking Jeongin, who woke Hyunjin with his usual morning greeting.</p>
<p>"Wake up, fool!" Jeongin roared. "It's day 1433 of your captivity!"</p>
<p>Now you might be wondering how a dragon and a human could possibly communicate. Well, Jeongin had actually been raised by a well-known scholar and advisor to the king named Chan.  Chan, being the genius he was, had taught the baby dragon how to speak Korean, English, and several dragon dialects. Jeongin was intelligent and well trained, and therefore the perfect dragon to guard Hyunjin's tower. </p>
<p>"Jeongin, do you have to roar so loud?" Hyunjin groaned, waking from his slumber.</p>
<p>"I wouldn't have to roar so loud if you were asleep." Jeongin childishly rolled his eyes. "Besides, you don't complain about how loud Kkami's barking is."</p>
<p>"Hey, don't insult my loyal watchdog!" Hyunjin nuzzled Kkami's head, teasingly glaring at the dragon.</p>
<p>Calling Kkami his watchdog had become a little joke between the dragon and Hyunjin. Soon after Hyunjin had been put in the tower, he had connected all the dots. His situation perfectly matched the little bedtime story he was told every night: a dragon, a dog, a tower, and a prince. Only Kkami wasn't much of a watchdog; he was just a cute ball of fluff.</p>
<p>"Innie, why can't you just break me out of this tower?" Hyunjin whined. "A prince will never come at this rate!"</p>
<p>"You've asked me to do that exactly 2091 times, Prince Hyunjin." The dragon flicked his shimmering green tail. "And you already know that I'm going to say no."</p>
<p>That was one thing that Hyunjin hated about the dragon. He was annoyingly loyal to his parents, the king and queen. Or perhaps just Chan. He was told to guard the tower and keep Hyunjin in it, and so he would do it until a prince 'saved him.'</p>
<p>Surprisingly, only about five princes had reached the tower over the last few years. Unfortunately, all five had immediately run straight back to where they had come from as soon as they saw Jeongin. They were absolute cowards. Hyunjin hated all of them.</p>
<p>The accommodations of the tower were actually very nice. There was a grand king-sized bed, a polished wooden desk, a stove, a beautiful balcony, and many little things to keep him occupied. Once a month, soldiers would come and bring him provisions, such as food, clothes, and some other arbitrary items that he would request for.</p>
<p>Jeongin leaned in through the window and blew a tiny gust of fire through his nostrils to light the stove. Hyunjin placed the tea kettle on top, as well as a pan. Then he cracked some eggs and began to cook.</p>
<p>"You know, every time you cook eggs, I get rather offended." Jeongin remarked. "It's just a bit insensitive, don't you think?"</p>
<p>"Innie, you're not a chicken." Hyunjin rolled his eyes, already used to the dragon's antics. "Plus, it's not like I'm eating your eggs."</p>
<p>"I can't even lay eggs."</p>
<p>"Exactly."</p>
<p>The kettle began to shriek, so Hyunjin pulled out two delicate china cups, one for him and one for Jeongin. One of the many things he had learned about the dragon was that he loved a cup of tea to start the day. It was an amusing picture, the giant green dragon sipping tea from a tiny little teacup.</p>
<p>Hyunjin quickly finished his tea, then placed the finished scrambled eggs onto a plate and began to eat. Jeongin began to hum a little tune, which always made Hyunjin stare in awe. It never failed to shock him how beautiful the dragon's singing voice sounded in comparison to his roars that made the earth tremble.</p>
<p>"You know, prince, your hair is getting quite long." A claw stroked a strand of his shoulder-length dyed hair. "Want me to cut it?" </p>
<p>"Nah, I like it." Hyunjin smiled and tied up the blonde strands into a short half-up ponytail. "If anything, it makes me look more like a damsel in distress, right?" </p>
<p>Jeongin snickered. "Yeah, it sure does."<br/>
A horse's neigh in the distance suddenly interrupted their peaceful morning.</p>
<p>"Umm, are the soldiers due to come today?" Hyunjin stood up, a small thing of hope growing in his chest. "I could've sworn they came just a few days ago."</p>
<p>"I'll go check." Jeongin glided down to the ground. </p>
<p>"Innie, wait!" Hyunjin yelled after him. The dragon paused. "If it's a prince, can you pretty, pretty please not scare them off? I know you have to guard the tower and me, but I really want to get the heck out of here!"</p>
<p>Jeongin scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Alright, maybe I'll even act a little cute. We'll see what happens." With that, he bounded off.</p>
<p>“You’re the cutest, baby Innie!” Hyunjin yelled after him. Normally a stunt like that would’ve cost him, but the dragon probably didn’t hear him.</p>
<p>Hyunjin let out a deep sigh and sat in a chair on the balcony. Technically he had to lie on the bed in a deep sleep so the prince would kiss him and blah, blah, blah, happily ever after. That's how the story had gone. But Hyunjin could care less; this real-life fairy tale was more like a nightmare. Or just really dull. The stupid prince probably wouldn't even get past Jeongin, even if he was acting cute.</p>
<p>"Hyunjin! It's a prince!" Jeongin exclaimed. "And he speaks dragon!"</p>
<p>"What?!" Hyunjin leaped up out of the chair and leaned over the balcony railing. "Are you serious? Where is he?!"</p>
<p>"Umm, hi." A figure stepped out from behind Jeongin. "I'm Prince Changbin, and I guess I'm saving you?"</p>
<p>"Well, hurry up! I haven't got all day!" Hyunjin paused. "Well, maybe I do, but details."</p>
<p>Changbin climbed onto Jeongin's back and held on tight as they flew up to the balcony. Changbin stumbled off the dragon's tail onto the balcony, all but falling flat on his face. As he stood, Hyunjin studied him. Was it just him, or was Changbin awful short?</p>
<p>"Umm, so I was kind of expecting a princess, but you're just as beautiful as one." Changbin awkwardly chuckled. </p>
<p>Hyunjin stared at him, silent. Jeongin slapped his forehead in the background. Kkami barked to fill the silence. Clearly, this prince was horrible at pickup lines. </p>
<p>Changbin cleared his throat, his smile becoming more painful by the second. "Uh, so, what's your name?"</p>
<p>"Hyunjin."</p>
<p>"Cool, I'm Changbin, Seo Changbin."</p>
<p>Hyunjin's eyebrows shot up immediately. He was Seo Changbin? As in the prince of the Seo kingdom? The kingdom that was enemies with the Hwang kingdom?</p>
<p>"Ex-excuse me?" Hyunjin stuttered. "You're from the Seo kingdom?"</p>
<p>"Hmmm, yeah, I guess I am." Changbin's smile quickly fell, and he turned on his heels. "My companion, Felix, is waiting for us down below. So please, pack what you need, and we'll be on our way."</p>
<p>"Can I bring Jeongin?" Hyunjin blurted.</p>
<p>Changbin sighed. "You want to bring a dragon with us? Not very subtle."</p>
<p>"Please?" Hyunjin turned on his puppy eyes, and Kkami joined him.</p>
<p>Changbin stared at them both for a minute, thinking deeply. He finally snapped out of his trance and sighed again. "Fine. Fine. Whatever. Just pack. I'll be waiting down in the forest for you."</p>
<p>"Yes!" Hyunjin, Kkami, and Jeongin all jumped around in celebration.</p>
<p>"Hurry up!" Changbin called, already down on the ground. Had he... jumped? How had he gotten down so fast? </p>
<p>Whatever, it didn't really matter. Not when Hyunjin was finally getting out of this godforsaken tower. </p>
<p>"Come on, Kkami! You too Innie!" Hyunjin grinned, big and bright. "Let's get out of here!"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. A Fairy??</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>ok so I literally almost forgot about this cause this past week i was #stressed.. but i come back to check on it and i already have almost a hundred hits??? like i literally thought no one would read this, but your kudos and all that are motivating me so much. thank you!! enjoy the chapter:)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Rice?" Felix, Changbin's companion, offered a bowl of rice to Hyunjin.</p><p>"Umm, sure. Thanks." Hyunjin hesitantly began eating. He was still a little shaken by how deep Felix's voice was. The boy had an innocent face but a shockingly deep voice.</p><p>After Hyunjin had packed his bags, Jeongin had flown him and Kkami down to where a carriage awaited them. Changbin had introduced them to Felix, whom he called his companion. Truthfully, Felix was more like a servant that could do as he pleased. The boy seemed to be capable of doing almost everything; he was a driver, a soldier, a chef, and great company. He was like sunshine, while Changbin was more darkness. Looking at them both together, Hyunjin thought they made a good pair. Like a couple.</p><p>"Alright, let's get some proper introductions." Changbin broke the silence. "I'm Seo Changbin, prince of the Seo kingdom. You go next, blondie."</p><p>"Oh, umm, I'm Hwang Hyunjin, prince of the Hwang kingdom." Hyunjin shrunk a bit in his seat. All this staring made him uncomfortable.</p><p>"Hold on." Changbin straightened. "You're from the Hwang kingdom?"</p><p>"Yeah." Hyunjin shrunk further into his seat. This probably would not end well.</p><p>"Oh my god." Changbin lowered his head into his hands. "I just saved the prince of our enemy kingdom. What was that stupid witch thinking--"</p><p>"You didn't know I was from the Hwang kingdom?" Hyunjin interrupted him.</p><p>"I didn't even know who I was saving or why I was saving them!" Changbin yelled, clearly frustrated. "I was just told where to go and that I needed to save them, or else..." Changbin sighed, the rest of his sentence trailing off.</p><p>"Who told you to save me?" Hyunjin was genuinely curious. </p><p>Changbin sighed yet again. "Well, umm... I guess... A witch did?"</p><p>"You guess?" Hyunjin deadpanned. "Is this a joke or something? I mean, you really don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but really? A witch?"</p><p>"See, he doesn't believe me." Changbin now seemed to whisper to his pocket. "I told you he wouldn't, even I wouldn't!"</p><p>"Uh, hello?" Hyunjin waved a hand in front of Changbin's face. "Who are you talking to?"</p><p>Changbin must have not heard him or chose to ignore him, because he kept talking to his pocket. "I told you so many times, Sungie, I don't know when we're going to arrive! So shut up!" The prince practically shouted the last bit.</p><p>As if he suddenly remembered that Hyunjin was right in front of him, Changbin quickly straightened and adjusted his jacket. He cleared his throat and awkwardly grinned. "Umm, this isn't what it looks like, I swear."</p><p>"Right." Hyunjin dragged out that one word extra long, still deadpanning. "Look, why don't we cut straight to the chase and have you open your coat and show me what's inside."</p><p>"Changbin!" A tiny, squeaky voice warned. It was so tiny that Hyunjin wondered if he had simply imagined it, but then it spoke again. "Changbin, I swear to god, if you open this jacket, I'll--"<br/>Changbin pressed harshly against his pocket, muffling the squeaky voice.</p><p>He stared at Hyunjin sheepishly, and Hyunjin stared back. The blonde prince smirked, then pounced on Changbin. A rather brutal wrestling match ensued, until Hyunjin ripped the other's jacket right where the pocket was. They both were on the floor of the carriage, panting, Hyunjin basically straddling Changbin. Hyunjin blew a piece of hair out of his face, and then something peculiar occurred.</p><p>Blue sparkles began to float out of the ripped pocket. They flew around the inside of the carriage, swirling everywhere to create a dazzling spiral. Hyunjin couldn't take his eyes off of it. It was mesmerizing. It was magical.<br/>The sparkles paused, taking the form of, a boy? Then suddenly, they began to glow, brighter and brighter, until both princes had to shut their eyes and look away. It was like the sun, but it seemed even brighter.</p><p>The burning brightness finally ceased, and in its place was a boy. He was on the shorter side, but arguably taller than Changbin. His hair was a pretty ash gray, and his eyes were green. He was striking in every aspect, but he was also kind of adorable. The most striking part of him were his shimmering, blue wings. He had wings?</p><p>"You have wings?" Hyunjin blurted. He slapped a hand over his mouth, then gasped. "You're a fairy?"</p><p>"Yeah, I'm a fairy." The fairy snapped. Was he chewing bubblegum? "Any idiot should be able to tell. After all, I got wings growing outta my back."</p><p>"You were hiding a fairy in your pocket?" Hyunjin turned to the other prince. "Why the heck do you have a fairy? Is he the one who told you to find me?"</p><p>"Oh no, no, no." The fairy stepped in between the two. "That was my boss. My boss is very interested in you, Prince Hwang, so we're taking you to him."</p><p>Before Hyunjin could say something or ask anymore questions, the fairy stuck out his hand. "By the way, I'm Jisung. You can just call me Han, though." Hyunjin hesitantly shook his hand, still confused and a bit in awe that a literal fairy was in front of him.</p><p>"Well, I'm gonna go scout and see how far away we are." Jisung smirked devilishly. "Maybe I'll even chat with Felix a bit. See ya!" The fairy quickly flew out the window.</p><p>"Han Jisung, you little-!" The fairy was gone before Changbin could yell at him.</p><p>"So..." Hyunjin began. "What was that fairy saying? You're not taking me to your kingdom so we can be married, or even my home? We're going to the fairy's boss? What, is that the witch you were talking about earlier?"</p><p>"Umm, correct?" The raven-haired prince shrugged. "Jisung's boss is a witch, and one of my old friends. He told me to find you and bring you to him. So here we are."</p><p>"So why are you, a prince, taking orders from a witch?" Hyunjin finally took a seat. "Cause you definitely don't want to be here, doing this. I can tell that much."</p><p>"He's an interesting character." Changbin took a seat as well. "Plus an old friend. Think of this as a favor I'm doing for him."</p><p>"Do I get to go home after we see the witch?"</p><p>"You'll have to ask him. I can't guarantee anything."</p><p>"Why not?" </p><p>"Look, Hyunjin." Changbin stared directly at him. "I can't give you all the answers, alright? Some things, well, you'll just have to figure the answers out for yourself."</p><p>The prince left it that, turning away to stare out the window. Hyunjin still wanted answers, but it was clear that Changbin wouldn't give them to him. It looked like he would have to ask the witch after all.</p><p>"We're here!" Felix shouted from up front. The carriage came to a halt, and the doors suddenly opened, making Hyunjin jump out of his seat.</p><p>"Relax, it was just me." Jisung flew down from a sturdy tree branch. He wiggled his wand in front of Hyunjin.</p><p>"Right, magic." Hyunjin muttered under his breath, shakily stepping out of the carriage.</p><p>A bark and something rubbing his ankle startled Hyunjin yet again, causing him to nearly fall over. He grabbed a nearby tree trunk for support. He looked down and saw Kkami staring back up at him. "Oh my gosh! Kkami!" Hyunjin knelt down and picked the dog up. "How could I almost forget about you?"</p><p>"And me." Jeongin interrupted. He wiped away an imaginary tear. "How could you forget your two most loyal companions?"</p><p>"Aww, Innie." The prince smiled. "How could I ever forget you?"</p><p>"Alright, enough of that sappy stuff." Jisung clapped his hands. "You guys were only separated for two hours, geez. We have much more important matters at hand. Such as getting to my boss so he doesn't fire me."</p><p>"We're going to have to walk from here." Felix told them. "The carriage can't go any farther."</p><p>"How far is it?" Changbin asked.</p><p>"It'll probably take an hour." Felix grimaced. "The whole walk will be on a steep uphill though."</p><p>"Can't I just fly up there on Jeongin's back?" Hyunjin whined. "It would be easier and faster."</p><p>"First of all, that's too dangerous, trust me." Jisung smirked. "Second of all, you don't even know where you're going, so you'd just get lost, and then my boss would fire me because I lost you guys."</p><p>"Fine." Hyunjin rolled his eyes. </p><p>"Alright then, let's get going!" Felix smiled, bright enough for everyone else to unconsciously smile a little too. Then their trek up the mountainside to the witch's house began.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. The Witch's House</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>so I've decided I'm gonna update every week somewhere between friday and sunday (like chan's room hehe) fyi I'm going by PST, I know this chap is a little early, but I just was dying to post another one!!</p>
<p>also if ya wanna chat or anything, hit me up on my twt @stay_bangchann &lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hyunjin was genuinely frightened. </p>
<p>And for a good reason, too. It wasn’t like he was afraid of the oncoming darkness that was slowly seeping into the forest, or potential spiders that might land on his neck, or the ominous chirping coming from what were hopefully crickets.</p>
<p>Scratch that, he was definitely afraid due to all of the above, and much more. And Hyunjin would have definitely screamed as loud as possible and ran back to the stupid carriage that led him here if it weren’t for a certain person watching him with hawk eyes.</p>
<p>“Can you stop creepily watching me like that?” Hyunjin glared at the fairy.</p>
<p>“No.” Jisung blew another disgustingly pink bubble. “You look like you’re gonna bolt, and we can’t have that, can we?”</p>
<p>“Whatever.” Hyunjin shivered, and grumbled under his breath, “Who even lives on such a stupidly large hill in a stupid dark and creepy forest like this?”</p>
<p>“My boss.” Han’s voice whispered directly in his ear.</p>
<p>“OH MY GOD, WHAT THE FU--” Hyunjin must have lept at least two feet in the air in pure fright.</p>
<p>“Tsk, dramatic as ever, Jinnie.” Jeongin rolled his eyes. “Why not just get some fireworks and a loudspeaker and scream, ‘The little fairy scared the shit out of me!’” The dragon burst into laughter at the thought.</p>
<p>Hyunjin straightened and collected himself, proceeding to glare daggers at the dragon, and then glare even more furiously at the fairy.</p>
<p>“Well, first of all, I’m not little.” Jisung smacked his gum annoyingly. “At least, I’m not as little as Changbin.” He smirked and giggled evilly.</p>
<p>“Seriously, what did I ever do to you guys?” Changbin whined. “I literally just exist and you attack me!”</p>
<p>“Well, you are short.” Hyunjin shrugged in fake pity.</p>
<p>“Says the giant.” Changbin muttered.</p>
<p>“Sorry to interrupt your little squabble, but we’re here!” Felix jumped in excitement and skipped ahead with Kkami in tow.<br/>

</p><p>“Wait, since when was Kkami loyal to you?” Hyunjin’s attention was diverted from Changbin as he chased after Felix and his precious dog. “Kkami, baby, I thought we were closer than this! How could you ditch me so quickly?!”</p>
<p>“How pitiful.” Jisung tutted. “Well, let’s get going. Don’t wanna make Minho wait, now do we?”</p>
<p>“Definitely not.” Changbin sighed. “Let’s get this over with.”</p>
<p>“Am I missing something, or…” The confused dragon tagged along like a lost puppy. “Who is Minho?”</p>
<p>“I am.” A voice materialized out of thin air and echoed throughout the forest, causing Hyunjin to shriek yet again from where he was lovingly wrestling Kkami.</p>
<p>“Really, do you have to do that boss?” The fairy whined. “It freaks me out!”</p>
<p>“Good.” You could tell the person behind the voice was definitely wearing a smug grin. “That’s what you get for not calling me boss earlier.”</p>
<p>“It was one time!” Jisung pouted. It was almost like he was trying to be cute. </p>
<p>“Look, can you let us in, Mr. Boss?” Hyunjin had recovered from the shock and was cuddling Kkami, who very much looked like he wanted to escape from Hyunjin’s grasp. “I’m cold, and it’s really creepy out here.”</p>
<p>“Of course. Forgive me, Prince Hyunjin.”</p>
<p>A beautiful, yet simple one story house appeared suddenly, effectively cutting off Hyunjin’s confusion about why the voice had called him Prince. The house was built out of richly colored bricks, and a cute chimney sat atop the pointed roof. There was a simple, yet elegant porch decorated with a few chairs and a swinging bench. Finally, there was a pair of gorgeous oak doors that glimmered in the moonlight. Just as Felix was about to knock, they swung open, allowing the group to enter the house.</p>
<p>“Y’know, when you said this guy was a witch, this is not what I pictured his house to be like.” Hyunjin mused.</p>
<p>“What did you think it would be like?”</p>
<p>Thinking it was Changbin he was talking to, Hyunjin went on. “Well, since he’s a witch, I thought it would be like a creepy, broken down shack, surrounded by crows, and maybe even some lightning for added effect. Or maybe he would live in a gingerbread house!”</p>
<p>Hyunjin’s imagination was cut off by someone clearing their throat. His gaze snapped from a gorgeous painting on the wall to a man standing in the middle of the room.</p>
<p>“Well, now I know that you’re quite a brainless idiot.” The man sneered at Hyunjin. “Or maybe you’ve just been reading too many fairy tales.”</p>
<p>Hyunjin blushed a deep crimson, partially in anger due to the clear insult thrown at his face, and partially in embarrassment. He had just insulted the house’s owner who was probably a witch to their face! He was so very screwed.</p>
<p>“U-uh, I-I’m really sorry!” Hyunjin bowed at a perfect ninety-degree angle in an attempt to gain the witch’s mercy.</p>
<p>Suddenly, the witch burst out laughing. It was a slightly hysterical laugh, with a hint of a witch’s signature cackle mixed in, but it surprisingly wasn’t frightening. “You should’ve seen the look on his face!” He gasped out to Jisung, who stood next to the witch. “It was priceless!”</p>
<p>Now Hyunjin was extremely confused, and quite bewildered. As he nervously glanced at the others, he could see that they were as well. What was up with this guy?</p>
<p>Changbin sighed behind him and approached the witch. “Minho, enough of the antics. Just explain why you need Hyunjin, cause honestly even I’m confused.”</p>
<p>“Well, that’s just how I like it.” Minho smirked. “It just makes things more interesting if no one knows what’s going on, right?”</p>
<p>“No!” The entire group chorused back at him.</p>
<p>The witch scowled briefly, before turning around to briskly walk down the hallway. “Well, then come along!”</p>
<p>Hyunjin entered the hallway after Minho, when suddenly everything began to warp weirdly around him. The floor stretched like elastic, the paintings on the walls were deformed and restored over and over again, and the ceiling twisted around, up and down. All this movement made him a bit nauseous, and Hyunjin came to a halt.</p>
<p>“Keep walking!” Minho called over his shoulder. “It’ll stop at the end of the hallway!”</p>
<p>Jeongin nudged Hyunjin, urging him to continue on. “Hurry up! It’s not like you’re the only one feeling a little sick of this.”</p>
<p>Not wanting to hold the rest of the group up, or stay in the strange hallway any longer than necessary, Hyunjin sprinted the rest of the way, sighing in relief when the next room was normal.<br/>
Except, something was different about this room. The entire room was pink! Gone was the elegant furniture and gorgeous paintings and the elegant nature of the previous room. Anime posters adorned the light pink walls, and cute pink bean bags were scattered across the room with cute plushies adorning them. A huge TV covered one wall, and a gaming station was situated underneath it. There was also a window, complete with pink curtains that covered it.</p>
<p>“Umm, is it just me, or does it seem like we’re in a completely different house?” Felix questioned.</p>
<p>“Yeah…” Changbin looked around, taking in the strange room. “But I guess it could just be a really different room. Maybe it was decorated by someone else?”</p>
<p>“Oh, my apologies. I must have led you all to the wrong room.” Minho snickered behind his hand, mischievously glancing sideways at the blushing fairy beside him.</p>
<p>“So, who’s room is this?” Changbin asked.</p>
<p>“It’s Jisung’s room.” Minho grinned. “He’s quite fond of pink, as you can see.”</p>
<p>“You jerk!” Hyunjin could hear the fairy hiss from across the room. “I knew you would do something like this!”</p>
<p>“Are we still in the same house?” Hyunjin asked, still feeling a little queasy. “Or was that weird hallway back there a portal or something?”</p>
<p>“Well, I guess someone like you would consider it a portal.” Minho looked at him with slight disdain. “But no, we’re still in the same house. That hallway is a safety precaution. Also, it allows me to keep Jisung in his room if he chooses to be rather annoying.”</p>
<p>“Hey!” Jisung shouted indignantly. “I’m not annoying, boss!”</p>
<p>“I rest my case.” Minho sighed. </p>
<p>“Wait, how can you lock him in his room if there’s no door? It’s just a hallway! He can walk right through it.” Jeongin flicked his tail.</p>
<p>“I’m a witch.” Minho deadpanned. “That should be enough of an explanation. If not, then I’ll be glad to show you.” The witch gestured for all of them to follow him as he went back in the hallway. “Follow me. The dragon will go last.”</p>
<p>The rest of them obediently followed after Minho, back into the shifting hallway. Jeongin went last, as he was told to, but just as he was about to enter the hallway, he came to a halt. </p>
<p>“Innie, what’s wrong?” Hyunjin turned around to look at the dragon. “Come on! Don’t fall behind!”</p>
<p>“I can’t move!” The dragon grunted. His snout was smashed against something that Hyunjin couldn’t see. It was like there was an invisible wall that only stopped Jeongin.</p>
<p>“Well, I think you get my point now.” Minho flicked his hand, and Jeongin stumbled forward into the hallway. “I’m a witch, so don’t question it.”</p>
<p>They hurried through the hallway and emerged into another room. This one was quite similar to the first room, but it was structured more like a kitchen.</p>
<p>“Since I’m sure you’ve had a long journey,” Minho gestured at the fridge, “You all are welcome to have a nice meal and relax. Except for Hyunjin.”</p>
<p>“What?” Hyunjin’s stomach growled at the smell of food. “Why me? I’m hungry too!”</p>
<p>“Because you’re the reason that they all came here, Prince.” Minho grabbed Hyunjin’s arm. “I’ve got to show you something, and talk to you a bit.”</p>
<p>“Alright. . .” Hyunjin hesitantly linked his arm with the witch’s.</p>
<p>“Now, don’t be too frightened at what’s about to happen. I know you’re a scaredy cat.” Minho teased, a frightful grin on his face.</p>
<p>“What do you mean? OHHH SHI-”</p>
<p>And they were gone</p>
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